


i just can't decide what i'm running from (i want you all to myself)

by leifstroganoff



Category: Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Teachers, F/M, Secret Relationship, im gonna be real thats really all there is to this one i dont have any other tags for this, other ppl are mentioned but arent there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:00:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27459844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leifstroganoff/pseuds/leifstroganoff
Summary: Leif Donnelly teaches tenth grade English. Zoey Clarke teaches the only computer-based elective in the school. Leif would kill for his students to show him just an iota more respect. Zoey just wants the students tolikeher. Leif doesn't really think either of those things'll happen if they tell the kids that they've been dating for a year.
Relationships: Zoey Clarke/Leif Donnelly
Comments: 5
Kudos: 18





	i just can't decide what i'm running from (i want you all to myself)

**Author's Note:**

> this is once again a part of this [request meme](https://leifdonnellies.tumblr.com/post/625534637444399104/fanfiction-trope-mash-up) that someone requested "zeif, teacher au, and secret relationship" for so here's a one-shot with that! i have a metric crapton of requests from this meme i'm working through, so hopefully you'll see a lot of those soon! most'll be around this length and complexity (that is to say not very long and not very complex lol) and also i'm still accepting more if you take a look-see and wanna send one in on my tumblr (which is leifdonnellies, the same as the request meme link!)

“And if you look closer at the text, it’s actually pretty clear that Ophelia wasn’t ‘crazy’ at all, and the scholars that focus on her mental state and not the abuse that’s thrown at her from every direction are, in my opinion, just wrong.” His eyes float out into the group of students in front of him; he’s very aware of the fact that there are _maybe_ two students who were listening to anything he’d just said. “But we’ll get into that next Monday. For now, are there any questions on what we’ve already discussed?”

A hand in the front raises quickly and he points at the teen to acknowledge him. 

“My mom saw that we were reading this and said that she hated the incestuous implications of it, which was really confusing because I didn’t _see any_ incestuous implications.”

A sigh tumbles off his lips, wishing, not for the first time, that he was allowed a lot more leniency in the things he was allowed to discuss.

“Well, _I_ don’t think there are any. The argument that most make is that he cares so much about Claudius and Gertrude’s marriage because of incestuous feelings towards his mother, but I mean, _guys._ Think about it. You’re in college, your dad just died. It’s been _a month_ and your mom’s already remarried. And not just anybody, she married his _brother._ I think if I were in Hamlet’s shoes, I’d hold a bit of a grudge, too.”

A murmured agreement comes from those that were actually listening. A quick glance at his watch and he stands up from where he’s been leaning on the front of his desk. 

“Alright, don’t forget to read Act IV for next Monday. Have a great spring break and stay safe, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“What wouldn’t you do?” A hand raises, despite the fact that the person it belongs to has already started speaking. “Just, y’know, to compose a list of what not to do.”

He laughs, closing the anthology on his desk.

“Uh, don’t swim too far in the ocean and keep the P out of Ool?”

With that absolutely horrible “joke”, the bell rings and students start to lethargically pack up, passing by and wishing him a good spring break.

“Stay lit, Leif.”

God, he’s gotta teach higher than tenth grade.

“It’s…” The student’s already gone, dude. “It’s Mr. Donnelly.”

As the students are slipping out of the door, Zoey slips in, a stupidly bright smile on her face (it’s almost impossible for him not to smile back).

“And what’s got you all smile-y, Miss Clarke?” 

It’s also almost impossible for her not to roll her eyes when he’s coy, though the smile doesn’t falter. 

“Oh, drop it, _Mr. Donnelly,”_ It almost feels mocking coming from her. “It’s officially spring break and _you_ promised me a week of _us. Together._ No… sneaking around or jumping apart when we hear Joan come around the corner. I think I have the right to be excited.”

She’s moved towards where he’s leaning against his desk now, bringing her hands to either side of his neck and letting her thumbs rub against his jaw.

“Mhm, of course. Spring break.” He feigns innocence, eyes glancing up as he mock-sighs before moving back down to catch on her own smile and this is _nice,_ he decides. A moment just between them. No students rushing around while they try to make plans for the weekend, no Tobin or Max or Autumn butting into their lunch “dates” (it’s not _really_ a date when it’s the staff room, but they work with what they’ve got) with inane conversation that he would usually be more than happy to goof around with and develop a back and forth, but sometimes he just really wants to talk to his girlfriend. He hates to ruin the moment. “Small hitch.”

“Oh, no.” 

“No, no, no, don’t worry,” His hands move to grab hers from where they’ve come to rest on his shoulders, covering them in his own and pulling them close to his chest. “We still have a full week, I’m _not_ giving that up. Tobin just… _really_ wants to have a staff party Saturday at _our_ townhouse and I think it would be a little suspicious if I wasn’t there.” 

“Right,” He can tell she’s disappointed; her face falls and she breaks eye contact to look down at their hands where he’s idly rubbing his thumb. “I hate hiding this.”

“I know,” He wants to make her feel better, offer her a moving of the goalposts or _something,_ but he’s honestly just not willing to budge on the _‘telling people’_ thing. It’s not that he’s ashamed of her or even that there are particularly any _rules_ barring them from dating (there are, in fact, several married couples throughout the school, including Simon and Jessica who are the only people who actually know they’re dating, due to an _unfortunate_ run-in in a supply closet). It’s just already hard to earn not only his coworkers' respect, but his _students’_ respect as a young, male teacher who, he’ll admit, isn’t horrible looks-wise. He’s already found himself on the receiving end of _way_ too many comments about how young he is and it’s not like he doesn’t hear the way students talk about him.

He knows Zoey faces the same issues, he just wishes he could handle it the same as her. She just seems to care less and doesn’t let things get under her skin the way he does. Though, in his defense, all of the students very _respectfully_ call her Miss Clarke, though he supposes that could be because ninety percent of her students are only taking a computer class to fill an elective credit. He just knows that if it got out that he was dating the cute computer teacher, neither of them would ever hear the end of it from their students. Half of them would make it weird and he’s pretty sure the other half have a running betting pool on whether or not he’s dating Tobin (which he guesses two nearing thirty year old men with steady jobs still choosing to live together isn’t exactly _not_ weird, but he loves his best friend, shove off). 

“Leif?” 

“Hm?”

“You’re doing it again.” 

Zoey had moved her hands away from his and had actually traced over the scar in his eyebrow and let them fall to fix his tie before he’d responded to her.

“Doing what?” 

“Zoning out with that sad look on your face. Like the world is against you and you can’t win.”

She finishes with a fake pout, poking at his chest and he laughs, shaking his head and opening his mouth to form a response that doesn’t get the chance to make it out of his mouth because they hear a knock on the door and jump apart; Zoey sits _very casually_ on a desk opposite him and gives him a sympathetic look as he drops his head back with a groan. 

“Come in,” 

A student that he recognizes immediately opens the door sheepishly and eyes carefully between them before stepping fully into the room.

“I was just, uh, my bus is late and I remembered you said I could borrow your copy of _And Their Eyes Were Watching God_? So I thought if you hadn’t left already, I could grab it. If it’s not a hassle.” 

Leif’s face lights up in recognition as he remembers his promise, shaking his head and pushing himself off of his desk, walking with a more determined energy towards the bookshelf on the back of the classroom. 

“ _Of course._ That’s, like, the _opposite_ of a hassle,” He takes a second to find the book, scanning each spine until he sees it and grabs it with a small ‘a-ha’. He turns around and crosses the rest of the room to hand it to the student still standing by the doorway. “I’m really just thrilled someone’s taking an interest in more diverse classics.” 

The student takes it with a grateful smile before glancing over at Zoey behind him with a curious look.

“Hi, Miss Clarke.”

“Hi, Joey.”

She waves awkwardly from where she’s been sitting on the desk, a strained smile accompanying it. 

“Uh, anyways, thanks again, Leif.” He says, slipping out of the door before Leif has a chance to protest the use of his first name.

“It’s… God, it’s Mr. Donnelly.” 

He shakes his head, exasperated as he makes his way back to his desk and leans against it again, looking forlornly across the aisle at Zoey, where she still sits on the desk.

“I think they already know, _Leif.”_ She remarks as she pushes herself off of the desk and moves to sit next to him where he’s leaning against his own desk, nudging her elbow into his side, his first name dropping off her tongue in a clear _tease_ about the students habit of using it. 

“They don’t know.” It’s clear in his voice that he knows that’s not entirely true, but he’ll be damned if he’s gonna admit that right now. 

“That one knew _something.”_ She says, gesturing towards the door where Joey left less than five minutes prior with a cautious eye and a knowing smile. 

“He’s just… he’s awkward, that wasn’t about us.” Leif responds, looking at his hands instead of at Zoey and he really hates when they have to talk about this. He knows it’s not really something they can _ignore_ , but he’d much rather be spending the little bit of alone time they get talking about things they _enjoy_ or not talking at all and using their mouths for more useful things.

“It felt like it was a little about us.” 

When he looks over at her again, she’s looking at him so honestly and vulnerable and he knows what she’s _trying_ to say. He knows she doesn’t wanna keep it a secret. _He knows, he knows, he knows._ But knowing and being able to _do_ anything about the fact that he feels the exact opposite are two different things.

“Alright, I know you think it’s… it’s _silly_ to keep it a secret, but I just - I don’t -” He pauses, cutting himself off in an effort to organize the words in his head before he makes an even bigger fool of himself. “Even if kids like _Joey_ pick up on it, I’m not ready for _everyone_ to know, I mean I’m - they won’t even call me Mr. Donnelly, y’know?” 

“ _Leif_ , I get it.” She grabs his hand and that pulls his attention fully back to her and her soft blue eyes making his heart feel like it’s beating just a little offbeat. Her thumb brushes over the top of his hand in what she hopes is a comforting gesture. “But I also know that I care about you a lot and, I don’t know about you, but I’m not exactly planning on this _ending_ soon, so… it’s gotta happen eventually.”

He knows she’s right (she _usually_ is, but who would he be if his brain wasn’t constantly ten steps ahead of every other part of his body?) and he really wishes he could just concede and give her everything she wants; he’d do anything to bring her a little bit of peace.

“Soon. I promise.”

That’s the best he can do. God, he hopes it’s enough.

“Okay.”

“For now, is spring break enough?”

She moves her hand from his to tilt his head towards her, pressing a soft kiss to his lips that only lasts for a second before she pulls away with a teasing smile.

“Mhm, only if you bring enough wine.”

**Author's Note:**

> tytyty for reading, as always comments mean the world <3


End file.
